Kids Invent!

The Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State is pleased to
offer Kids Invent! to Central Valley elementary schools. The Kids Invent! program
stimulates the creativity of students through the application of science, math, engineering
and English. Students explore unique problems of design and functionality and work
in teams to solve them.

The Kids Invent! program is suited for students in 4-6 grade. Our current curriculum
consists of 36 individual activities, designed to provide students with a weekly,
hands-on problem such as building a Straw Tower or creating a Propeller Car. A project-based,
sixth-grade curriculum encourages student teams to work on a series of solutions,
over the course of four weeks.

During each Kids Invent! Creative Activities students are presented with a practical
problem which they solve through observation and experimentation. By completing these
activities students learn to successfully use supplies, manage their time efficiently,
and develop social skills through team collaboration. All Kids Invent! curricula align
with the California Science and Common Core State Standards and can be formatted
for after school or summer camp uses.

In addition to a complete set of supplies, participants receive the following documents
for each Kids Invent! Activity:

Inventor’s Log - allowing each student to record their problem-solving methods and brainstorm ways
to improve their creation

Activity Protocols – a teacher-friendly, summarized how to for easy implementation

Student Instructions – a helpful visual aid to guide students along the Activity

Differentiation Suggestions – a set of universal accommodations which can be used in tandem with Individualized
Education Programs and 504 Plans to ensure every student can participate in the program

A comprehensive web portal has been developed for teachers to access all of the previously
mentioned documents, as well as helpful video clips (4-5 minutes) to accompany each
Activity. Hosted by Kids Invent! co-creator, Dr. Ed Sobey, videos contain notes on
safety precautions, troubleshooting and how each Activity demonstrates science, math,
and engineering concepts.

This teacher-friendly program effectively conveys scientific principles while ensuring
students have fun in the process.

"The program is so well organized it would change a teacher's perspective on teaching
science.” - Jeanne White, fifth-grade teacher at Holland Elementary School